Why chairing the BC legislature is not a job for a newcomer

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Perhaps the most interesting place to be this week is behind the heavy wooden door in the red-carpeted office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives in the BC Legislature.

After weeks of recounts, the success of David Eby’s government now depends in part on a secret ballot – expected around mid-November – to elect the speaker of the House of Representatives.

The name of each MLA is on a list in the registry. Any member who does not wish to be considered – there are good reasons for not wanting the job – must notify the Clerk in writing requesting removal no later than 6:00 PM on the eve of the vote.

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It is safe to assume that Eby has tried to lure someone from outside his party to become Speaker. Although he will tell his party members who to vote for, Eby will not have the privilege of appointing the chairman.

Although some MLAs, such as Conservative Ian Paton, have publicly stated they are not interested, only the clerk knows who is and is not on the list.

On voting day, the clerk will post the names of the candidates in the lobby and the ballot papers will be deposited in a box on the clerk’s table in the House of Representatives.

It is not as dramatic as a papal election – there is no white smoke from the burning of the ballots to indicate success – but the process is fraught with formality and ritual, despite the fact that the position of chairman was held until 1994 by appointment of the prime minister .

Joan Sawicki was a rookie NDP MLA when she was appointed speaker by then-Premier Mike Harcourt in 1992.

“There are rumors going around that a rookie MLA could become speaker,” Sawicki said. “I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.”

Experience in the House is important, but it is outside the House, in hallways and dining rooms and in the caucus, where friendships are made and alliances are forged.

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Eby is in a difficult position given its slim majority, Sawicki said.

“He may prefer a party from his own party, but that leaves him with fewer voting members. If he can convince an opposition member, it will give him some more room to maneuver.”

Whoever it is, she hopes they come with experience; it will make the job a little easier.

“If you’re a rookie, you’ve never been in a caucus, you don’t know what a caucus is like, you don’t know what’s going on in the dining room while the members are getting to know each other, then you can’t make subtle judgments about when you whether or not the House of Representatives should intervene.’

While it is an honor to be elected chairman – the job comes with a salary increase of €59,766.37 – it can be a thankless and isolating position.

The Speaker must renounce party loyalty.

In 2017, Liberal Darryl Plecas was hailed as speaker in John Horgan’s NDP government. He was expelled from the Liberal Party and forced to run as an independent, essentially ending his political career.

“The Speaker must have the confidence of both sides of the House, and be neutral and balanced. Both sides of the House will always feel that your interventions favor the other side,” Sawicki said. “It is a very fine line that a Speaker must walk in his dual role as arbiter and servant of the House.”

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If a member uses unparliamentary language, or if commotion undermines the collegial tone of the House, the Speaker can intervene.

“If you are too tight in your interventions, or too loose, if you don’t exercise good judgment or if they think the Speaker is interfering unnecessarily, you lose the goodwill of the House,” Sawicki said.

The Speaker must learn and implement the standing orders of the House. Sawicki had to “hit the books” when she was hired, saying starting as a rookie was “grueling and extremely difficult.”

The Speaker’s office and dining area are separate from those of their colleagues.

“It’s very isolating,” she said.

Sawicki dined alone every day with a set of antique china etched in gold with her new title: Mr. Speaker.

A Speaker relies on the clerks for research to make informed, precedent-based decisions, but their only support system for advice is other Speakers across Canada.

Missteps can land Speakers in hot water, as with 2023 Speaker of the House Greg Fergus, who praised the outgoing interim leader of the Ontario Liberal Party in a video tribute. The tribute was seen as biased.

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The Speaker oversees a large staff and manages the management budget of the BC Legislature.

In a 2018 report, Plecas accused Craig James, the House clerk, and Gary Lenz, the sergeant-at-arms, of excessive overspending in a scandal that included accusations of self-awarded pensions, expensive lawsuits and a $100,000 woodsplitter 3,000. . James was found guilty of fraud and breach of trust; Lenz was not criminally prosecuted.

But the Speaker’s main role is to maintain the status quo or continue the government.

“With such a narrow majority the likelihood that the Speaker will have to cut ties is quite high,” Sawicki said. “In the event of a tie, each chair should rely on the clerks to go through the procedures and precedence rules to determine what decision the chair should make. It would never be a partisan decision.”

Sawicki came to love the job: “It is an incredible privilege to serve as chairman.”

She has these words of advice in case a newcomer is chosen: “Try to be fair and neutral, understand your standing orders and trust the advice of the clerks.”

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